Evidence for God

In the following Video, an Islamic preacher is making a statement that – Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence for God. 

Hinduism Messed Up This Ex-Muslim's Mind | Smile 2 Jannah | Speakers Corner

He says - "there are three kinds of existences – impossible, contingent and necessary. We humans are contingent as we depend on many others. This chain of contingent existences would go in infinite regress if God is not accepted as the necessary existence. Cause and effect may also goes in infinite regress. But Contingent existence is different from that."  

The other person correctly says that this argument based on necessary existence contradicts the law of cause and effect. Both arguments based on necessary existence and cause-effect suffers from the fallacy of infinite regress. Actually, both the arguments are essentially the same, as the necessary existence is nothing but the first cause!

The Islamic scholar is only talking about different types of existences, but is unable to define what existence is. The other person is not denying his existence but is very clear that existence is undefinable. He should have said that pure existence is nothing but Brahman or Consciousness, though unknowable, always remains as the root of all existences including God as the necessary existence! 

But in spite of all the above arguments, Abrahamic religions, that posits an extra-terrestrial cause-less God, is essentially belief based as they don't have sound philosophy. The argument for God, based on necessary existence, has logical fallacy as God who is independent cannot have any dependents. That is why their God is dependent on the prophets and their book to prove his existence and has no power to independently incarnate and reveal himself to establish religion.

That is not the case with Vedic Hindu view point.

Why because, God in Hindu Vedic view is the essential spirit Self that exists in all and is verily of the nature of existence, consciousness and bliss - SatchidAnanda. Though He is immutable, He manifests as this very universe with His mysterious energy of mAya and also incarnates as needed to reveal himself and establish religion or dharma. All kinds of infinite regresses get eliminated when this Vedic God Brahman who is everywhere is realized. That is why Vedas declare, when one thing (Brahman/Self) is known, everything is known / attained. In the light of this absolute Brahman, abrahamic god is only an imaginary entity.

This supreme Absolute God, as the inner Self of all, always remains as the source/abode/destination of all existences of name/forms. Though body could be taken as the evidence for the Self/God, the Self is actually its own evidence as it can exist by itself. The entire universe is identified as the body of God and dependence of all living beings on the universe for their existence cannot be denied by any embodied being and is very much experiential. The scripture of Veda, which is essentially of the nature of sound or Shabda has its origin/abode/destination in God established as the inner Self of all and manifesting as this very universe.

God as Truth or existence is essentially unknowable. But is also knowable as the source/abode/destination of all worldly existences or name/forms.

The Vedic scripture alone is valid, eternal or Sanatana as it is rooted in the timeless, absolutely real Self or God. The contingency existences of rishis, the Vedic scripture and the way of life of dharma transmitted and practiced through the endless line of teacher-student relationship is also not denied as everything derives its existence from the God/Self/Brahman indwelling in all. All other scriptures have defects as they are human created and limited by space and time. 

Dharma is that which sustains all. Hindu God, in the form of the Universe, is thus an embodiment of dharma. Every living being, let alone humans, are absolutely dependent on this Hindu God for their existence. But still, ignorant people are postulating some imaginary god based on their blind belief, rooted in their own human created books and faulty logic.

According to Vedic Hindu View, God is the essential non-dual Self or Atman, that exists in all and remains as the source/abode/destination of all other worldly existences. Islamists copied this Hindu God of Atman and incorrectly pronounced it as Allah and ignorantly and childishly trying to prove that their God alone is true and Hindu God is false!

It is impossible to falsify the eternal Hindu God of Atman or the Self that shines in all. Hindu God as Brahman or the Self is self-evident and does not need anything else to prove his existence and the body/mind/intellect derives its existence from this self-existing and indwelling Hindu God. 

All other world views including Abrahamic views are at best, could only be a footnote and approximation to this unknowable, unthinkable, undeniable Hindu God of Atman/Brahman who is of the nature if pure Existence, Consciousness and Bliss.

Namaste

Suresh

What is Advaita

In the following video Sri Mani Dravida Shastrigal has presented a very lucid introduction to the philosophy of Advaita as propounded by Sri AcharyA Shankara.

Dr.S.Srinivasan Endowment Lecture on "Advaitam-An Introduction" by Dr. Mani Dravid Shastrigal

Here are some of the main points:

1. Advaita is primarily the non-duality of the essential Atman or the Self that is there in all.
2. Those who don’t believe in God identify the Self with the body.
3. Those who believe in God, will identify the self, body and God as different and real.
4. All VedAntins agree that God as the paramAthma, is Advaita – one without a second
5. Dvaita holds that the Brahman / Ishwara is different from the self / jiva and jagat.
6. VishishtAdvaita holds that Brahman/Ishwara is inseparably one with self / jiva and jagat.
7. There are many VishishtAdvitas – like Vishnu VishishtAdvaita, Shiva VishishtAdvaita and so on – but ultimately, they are Advaita only without denying the reality of Dvaita / jagat.
8. But Dvaita appears to be just opposed to Advaita.
9. Advaita holds that:
• The self is neither the enjoyed/bhOgyam/jada nor the enjoyer/bhoktA/jiva.
• The Brahman/ParamAthma as the unqualified witnessing Self alone exists or real.
• Everything else other than this Brahman / Self is false or does not exist.
10. Advaita alone truly gives the meaning of Veda/shruti as follows:
• Shantam Shivam Advaitam chaturtham manyante sa AtmA
•  jnyAte Dvaitam na vidyate
•  B.Gita also identifies the Self as kshetragya and all kshetra as false.
• Atman alone is real. There is no anAtma jagat at all.
11. All other non-advaitic schools are not teaching the above true meaning of Vedas / shruthi.
12. Advaita still accepts the existence of “bhAvaroopa ajnyAna” or the primordial ignorance because of which duality is experienced in transaction by even Advaita teachers. But this will disappear upon attainment of the Advaita Brahman

Here are some observations with the sole intent to reconcile all VedAntic schools:

1. Point #10 above proves that Advaitins are dvaitins when it comes to vyavahAra. Advaitic Brahman always remains as the ground of the dualistic jagat!
2. In fact, there is no clearcut line that divides Advaita, Dvaita, vishishtAdvaita. The non-dual Brahman as the inner Self of all, is the connecting link that unites all of them.
3. All Vedantins accept Ishwara as the SarvAntaryAmi paramAtma– indwelling ultimate Self.
4. If Ishwara is the Self then jagat exists as His body.
5. The difference and inseparable oneness between atman and shareera is undeniable.
6. The antaryAmi brAhmaNa of the BruhadAraNyaka Upanishad explicitly teaches every entity in jagat as Brahman’s body
7. Actually, Acharya Shankara also accepts Brahma shareera while explaining the unbroken line of guru-shishya Parampara.
8. The name dvaita is built into the name Advaita. It is hard to imagine any other name for Advaita without Dvaita.
9. The difference between mithya and satya must be accepted by all, including Advaitins.
10. The non-dual Self that is taught in the Mandukya is the SarvAtma / Self of all where all names/forms are included and transcended. It is actually the source/abode/destination of everything.
11. It is the same Self / Ishwara / Narayana who is established in all – Sarva bhutastham ekam narayanam.
12. jnyAte Dvaitam na vidyate – simply means the worldly dualities like birth/death, joy/sorrow, kama/krodha and so on, will cease to exist for a jnAni who has attained the paramAtman.
13. But still, all names/forms arise/remain/returns back to the all-pervading Self.
14. The self/existence of the jiva/jagat is not outside the Self/existence of nArAyana.
15. The self is limited by non-self. But Brahman has no limitation. This proves that Brahman is other than the self/jiva and is the self of the anAtma prakrithi also.
16. That is the reason Brahma sutra advises to do Brahma drushti in anAtma / prateeka (as opposed to atma Drishti)
17. The entire jagat exists in the self and the self in Brahman.
18. In the pot-space example, Jagat is the pot and Brahman is the space that is inside and outside the pot. Whether the pot is intact or broken, the mud will continue to exist in space.
19. The pot-mud example also proves Brahman as the Self is the material and efficient cause for the body/jagat.
20. In the rope snake example, there is difference between the seer and the rope/snake.
21. The jagat will bring sorrow when seen as an object of enjoyment. But when it is seen as Ishwara himself, it will protect and sustain the jiva.
22. Brahman exists in Advaitin, Dvaitins, VishishtAdvaitins and in all beings whatever may be their world view.
23. The Kshetra-Kshetragnya relation taught in the B.Gita also establishes the body-soul relation that obtains between Jagat and Ishwara/Brahman.
24. Though VishishtAdvaita in general supports, all kinds of theistic schools like Shiva, Devi and so on, identification or existence of all such name/form/deities culminates in Vishnu who is everywhere.
25. The vedAntic Self or Brahman, is all pervading and indwelling in all name/forms and this meaning is explicitly captured in the name nArAyaNa. There is support for this in Vedas, B.Gita and Sri Shankara bhAshya.
26. Ultimately all names point to the indwelling Self that is shining in All. But it is the sarvAtma or the Self of the universe and so there is a need to identify and accept the entire universe as the body of Ishwara.
27. Atman is the source/abode/destination of jagat. Atman is Truth and Jagat is Dharma.
28. Wherever there is Truth there is Dharma and that alone reveals Truth.

The above is true VedAnta that fosters mutual respect. People who do not SEE Brahman in others (anAtma prakruthi) cannot claim to be VedAntins.

 Namaste

Suresh

Can Sanatana Dharma be eliminated?

Can the five elements – earth, water, air, fire and space be eliminated? Sun, moon, planets and stars be eliminated? The universe be eliminated? Consciousness be eliminated? Obviously, the answer is a vehement No! Elimination of these, amounts to elimination of one's own self! In that case, then Sanatana dharma also cannot be eliminated!

What is the connection? Well, Dharma is that which sustains. All these elements and entities in nature are sustaining us, by unconditionally offering themselves to us, by engaging in their respective duties according to their nature! The dharma of fire is to heat, water to cool, Air to provide vitality, earth to support, space to accommodate and so on. We owe our existence to every entity in the universe - like the earth, sun, moon, planets, stars and also our mother, father, teacher/s, family, society and so on. When we become conscious of this truth of our absolute dependance on the universe around us, our duty towards every such entity automatically manifests as dharma. 

To engage in unconditional selfless service to the society and the universe, according the innate nature, capability and capacity of our personality comprising of our body / mind / intellect, is dharma. Brahman/Ishwara or God who pervades and indwells in nature is teaching sanAtana dharma, through every element and entity in nature. We as humans only have to be in tune with Him. If not, we will end up as selfish demons who only exploit nature for sense gratification.

As atma / self is eternal / sanAtana, dharma as a duty that obtains between atma / embodied self and the ParamAtma / Universal Self is also sanAtana. In fact, the indubitable and universal Self that abides in all, goes by the name of Dharma as it sustains the body and the universe. 

The body is made up of different parts and each part is engaging in its own dharma / duty in total harmony and unison with other parts so that the overall body can function normally, serving the indwelling self.

Likewise, the entire society / universe is the body of God / ParamAtma / universal Self and every embodied being is supposed to engage in their respective work / duty according to their nature / guna / varna, in total harmony and unison with all other beings, as a service to the universal Self / ParamAtma / God.     

In short, any selfless action performed with unconditional love, according to one’s guna / varna, as a service to God manifesting as the universe, for unconditionally sustaining us, is Dharma. Anything opposed to the above is adharma, which is like a disease that needs to be controlled / eliminated! That which is good for the universe, is good for the individual embodied being and not vice versa!

To give more than what we take from the world is Godly / dharma. Taking everything from the world without giving anything is demonic / adharma. According to Bhagavata purAnam, the cow/bull represents dharma. It has four legs - tapas (sense control), shoucham (external and internal purity), daya (compassion for all living / non-living entities) and satyam (truthfulness). It is so obvious that these are universal values that no sane human can deny.

It is interesting to note that in the overall scheme of the universal dharma even adharma has its own place! It is not totally eliminated! Why? because adharma actually glorifies Dharma! While Dharma aims to serve God, manifesting as the universe, adharma is solely based on the body / ego, looking upon the universe as an object of sense enjoyment. Nevertheless, God, manifesting as this very universe is sustaining the bodies of adhArmic people also. The fight between dharma / suras and adharma / auras is always going to be there in the world but ultimately, Dharma alone wins, as it is in tune with God manifesting as the universe and unconditionally aims for the good and sustenance of all through perfect alignment of thoughts, words and deeds. 

Is Sanatana dharma same as varNAshrama dharma? 

SanAtana dharma is of two fold - Pravrutti (external) and Nivrutti (internal). VarNAshrama dharma comes under pravrutti as it pertains to the vocation one adopts to serve the universe.  It is only a division in labor or karma according to the nature of the body, mind and intellect which belongs to the material world. Though pravrutti dharma differs based on the varna (based on the nature of the body) and ashrama (phases in life), they all end up as service to God who is the Soul of the universe and the benefit reaped is also the same for all. When proper rains and harvest happen due to performance of dharma, the entire society reaps the benefit. When all the organs in the body are discharging their specific duties, the overall health and happiness is reaped by the Soul. Varna which is based on the body helps to sustain diversity which is very much essential for the functioning of the society and the universe. But the indwelling spirit self or jiva is beyond any varna or gender. It is rooted in Brahman or God who is the source of all existence, consciousness and bliss.

The Nivrutti aspect is to realize and experience Brahman or God who is within one's own self, through tapasya or withdrawal of the senses and mind and this is common for everybody. All sAdhus, sanyasis, saints, devotees, jnyAnIs and so on are also beyond any Varna as they predominantly practice Nivrutti dharma and therefore considered as manifestations of God only!   

Namaste

Suresh